1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ball holders and more particularly to tennis ball holders which are securable about a designated portion of the user thereof such as the waist. Ball holders of this class provide in magazine with ready supply of balls for utilization thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of ball holders, and particularly tennis ball holders, is well known in the prior art. As may be appreciated, there devices have in the past been of cumbersome and awkward construction wherein an individual in utilization of these devices requires that access to a subsequent ball be of efficient and effective nature due to the character the sport or game such balls are utilized in. Magazines in the past have been encumbered by unnecessary mechanical or awkward features to resist the aforenoted desirable characteristics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,810,491 to McClure sets forth the utilization of a spring biased golf ball holder wherein plural biased links on either side of an uppermost ball pivotally release said uppermost ball while constraining the ball immediately thereunder. While effective, the golf ball magazine in this case requires cumbersome and unnecessary construction adding to its weight and awkwardness, especially when used in sport where weight is a significant consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,768,775 to Houser sets forth another ball holder, and particularly a golf ball holder, of bottom ejection type wherein a biased terminal opening at the exit thereof supports subsequent balls. This type of constricted opening effects an abrasion on ball surfaces and is of deleterious affect to such balls with an associated affect on the game itself. The shortcomings of such a device are quickly apparent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,676 to Gravatt is another in a series of golf ball holders wherein the main thrust of this invention is to provide a heating element for warming of the balls secure therein ostensively for improved trajectory characteristics. The access to the holder itself is of an articulated nature wherein a user merely grasps either half of the container and pivots it for gaining access to the balls. It is thereby apparent that this particular magazine holder for balls fails to provide effective, efficient and quick access to such balls, as becomes necessary in a relative rapid game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,156 to Knight sets forth a tennis ball carrier utilizing constricted openings enabling grasping of a tennis ball located therein. Constricted openings of this nature, while tending to scuff the ball itself, additionally tends to fatigue the materials forming the magazine resulting in limited life of such ball carriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,845 to Linzl sets forth another ball dispenser of gravity feed to a lowermost ejection port. Arcuate displaceable plates are positioned at the exit of the magazine holder to enable removal of sequential balls. The unnecessarily complex nature, as well as the other attendant shortcomings of this patent, are consistent with other prior devices including the notoriously well known use of constricted semi-rigid openings with their attendant shortcomings, as noted above.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved magazine ball caddy which addresses both the problem of storage, portability, and affectiveness, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.